FAIR & TRADE

From the 27th Annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair (2003)
(Boston, Mass.)…The oldest, continually running antiquarian book fair in the United States celebrates it 27th anniversary this year at the Hynes Convention Center. The 27th Annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair will take place October 31- November 2, 2003. More than 150 dealers from the U.S., Canada and Europe will exhibit and sell rare, collectible and antiquarian books, modern first editions, manuscripts, autographs, maps and more.

Although books headline the show, the Book Fair features a broad spectrum of rare objects including photographs, manuscripts, maps and autographs. Boston’s International Antiquarian Book Fair offers a spectrum of work to intrigue the most passionate collector and casual browser alike. For one weekend, more than 500 years of many of the world’s finest, most rare works on paper can be viewed and purchased in Boston. "For bibliophiles, there’s no better place on earth to be than Boston from October 31- November 2," said Ken Gloss, Chairman of the New England Chapter Book Fair Committee. "But it’s not just book lovers who attend – the weekend attracts everyone from sports fanatics to Hollywood memorabilia collectors to interior designers," Gloss continued. "There’s something for practically everyone at any one of the weekend events."

As Boston to some of the world’s most respected libraries, private collections and antiquarian booksellers, Boston is a natural and popular site for the Annual Antiquarian Book Fair. Many of the area’s leading cultural institutions also exhibit at the fair including the Boston Athenaeum, The Peabody Essex Museum and the American Antiquarian Society.

Hours for the Book Fair are Friday, Oct. 31 (Opening Night), 5-9pm, Saturday, Nov. 1, 12-7pm, and Sunday, Nov. 2, 12-4pm. Tickets are available at the door beginning a half hour before the show opens.

The Book Fair is sponsored by the New England Chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America. A portion of ticket sale proceeds benefits the Boston Public Library and the American Antiquarian Society.

Trade Victory in Boston

BOSTON CITY COUNCIL PASSES GLOBAL TRADE RESOLUTION
KUDOS TO BOSTON-CAMBRIDGE ALLIANCE
On Wednesday, June 19, the Boston City Council held a vigorous half hour debate on the impact of international trade and investment agreements on their fair city. When the debate concluded, they voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution which states: "That the Boston City Council gives its full support for the passage of the Globalization Impact Bill (H.2119) by the Massachusetts state legislature and governor."

The resolution brought Boston to Council members that global trade agreements are already having a direct local impact. The resolution states in part:

"Mondev International, a Canadian developer, has filed a $50 million suit against the U.S. government, claiming that they were treated unfairly by Boston officials and that Massachusetts state courts violated NAFTA when their Downtown Crossing retail project failed and the rights to Haywood Place were taken from them; "

The Boston-Cambridge Alliance for Democracy has been working long and hard with allied organizations to get the Massachusetts bill passed. The successful strategy to have the City Council support the bill provides important momentum.
Before the vote, BCA chair, David Lewit, delivered a fact sheet to all Council members, which began

"GLOBAL TRADE AGREEMENTS, NEGOTIATED WITHOUT ANY LOCAL INPUT, are taking away local democratic authority. It is time for Boston, the Boston of the Boston Tea Party, to protect its right to govern in the interests of its people and to assert its authority over foreign corporations."

"Mondev is claiming the parking lot property next to their failed Lafayette Place on Washington Street. If the NAFTA tribunal (made up of trade lawyers) awards them such damages, there will be no appeal to any court in the U.S. If the U.S. loses the case and has to pay, the federal government may seek to make Boston pay them back, or be cut off from federal subsidies."

These successful strategies can be useful in other communities working on local resolutions.
The Globalization Impact Bill (H.2119) is sponsored by State Rep. Byron Rushing, who earlier sponsored the MA Burma bill which eventually landed in the U.S. Supreme Court. The globalization bill would establish a state commission to study the impact of the World Trade Organization and other agreements on Massachusetts laws and regulations. The Commission would then recommend what position the state should take on such agreements under negotiation.